NIKONs PROFIT (POSSIBLY) TRIPLE....
Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2006 6:15 pmJapan's Nikon says 9-month profit likely tripled
TOKYO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Japanese camera and chip equipment manufacturer Nikon Corp. said on Wednesday it expects April-December group operating profit of around 47-48 billion yen ($409-418 million), more than triple the year earlier figure, helped by strong sales of digital cameras.
Group sales for the nine months ended on Dec. 31 are likely to have risen 15 percent from a year earlier to 530 billion yen, a company spokesman said. Sales of liquid crystal display (LCD) steppers and chip steppers were also brisk, he said.
Sales of digital cameras likely reached around 6.5 million units in the nine months, up about 30 percent on year, and Nikon could top its sales forecast of 8 million units for the year to March, he added.
Nikon is scheduled to announce its third-quarter results on Feb. 6.
Subtracting first-half figures from the firm's estimate, Nikon's third-quarter group operating profit was around 18.6-19.6 billion yen, compared with 5.9 billion yen a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations.
Separately, the Nihon Keizai business daily said Nikon will likely beat its 2005/06 operating profit forecast, but the spokesman said it was the newspaper's own estimate.
Nikon is expected to post group operating profit of over 50 billion yen ($435 million) in the year to March, up more than 60 percent from a year earlier, against the firm's projection in November of 45 billion yen, the report said.
That compares with a consensus of 50 billion yen, according to 18 analysts surveyed by Reuters Estimates.
Shares in Nikon jumped 8 percent to 1,999 yen by midday after the news. The Nikkei average was up 1.13 percent. ($1=114.80 Yen)
TOKYO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Japanese camera and chip equipment manufacturer Nikon Corp. said on Wednesday it expects April-December group operating profit of around 47-48 billion yen ($409-418 million), more than triple the year earlier figure, helped by strong sales of digital cameras.
Group sales for the nine months ended on Dec. 31 are likely to have risen 15 percent from a year earlier to 530 billion yen, a company spokesman said. Sales of liquid crystal display (LCD) steppers and chip steppers were also brisk, he said.
Sales of digital cameras likely reached around 6.5 million units in the nine months, up about 30 percent on year, and Nikon could top its sales forecast of 8 million units for the year to March, he added.
Nikon is scheduled to announce its third-quarter results on Feb. 6.
Subtracting first-half figures from the firm's estimate, Nikon's third-quarter group operating profit was around 18.6-19.6 billion yen, compared with 5.9 billion yen a year earlier, according to Reuters calculations.
Separately, the Nihon Keizai business daily said Nikon will likely beat its 2005/06 operating profit forecast, but the spokesman said it was the newspaper's own estimate.
Nikon is expected to post group operating profit of over 50 billion yen ($435 million) in the year to March, up more than 60 percent from a year earlier, against the firm's projection in November of 45 billion yen, the report said.
That compares with a consensus of 50 billion yen, according to 18 analysts surveyed by Reuters Estimates.
Shares in Nikon jumped 8 percent to 1,999 yen by midday after the news. The Nikkei average was up 1.13 percent. ($1=114.80 Yen)
Bob.